Croatia, abject at the back, were no better after the break. Asensio first threaded Rodrigo Moreno through to finish before supplying the corner for an unmarked Sergio Ramos to nod in No 5. Place bet on today’s games on NaijaBet

Isco then flashed a sixth into the top corner, again Asensio the provider.

Two victories in four days mean Spain sit top of League A’s Group Two, with a six-point gap over both Croatia and England, who play each other in Rijeka next month.

Germany coach Joachim Loew admitted making several mistakes that contributed to their World Cup debacle but opted for only a handful of changes to the squad for next month’s internationals, saying a balance of experience and youth was necessary.

He also said he failed to instill a sense of urgency and passion among his players who lost two of their three group matches.

Among the players called up for the Nations League game against France on Sept. 6 and the friendly against Peru three days later, are returning internationals Leroy Sane, Nils Petersen and Jonathan Tah as well as newcomers Kai Havertz, who is 19, Thilo Kehrer, 21, and 25-year-old Nico Schulz. Various betting options are available on site for today’s games

The Super Eagles dropped by one place in the FIFA rankings released just before the start of the World Cup and continued in the same trend in the last released by the World football governing body on Thursday, August 16.

El Hadary, nicknamed “High Dam”, won 159 caps for his country during a 22-year international career that saw him win the Africa Cup of Nations four times. Place bet on Live matches 24/7

At the age of 45 years and 161 days, El Hadary smashed Colombian stopper Faryd Mondragon’s record for oldest player at a World Cup when he took to the field against Saudi Arabia in Volgograd this summer.

Having been booed by German fans in pre-World Cup friendlies, Ozil quit the national team following Germany’s shock early exit from the finals in Russia and with his parting shot he accused DFB president Reinhard Grindel of racism.

“We’ve always tried to integrate all the players and we’ve also done everything for our teammates to make them feel good going into games,” said Neuer at Bayern’s pre-season training camp in southern Bavaria.

Super Eagles Star, Ahmed Musa, who was arguably Nigeria’s best player at the just concluded Russia 2018 World Cup has been shortlisted for the Goal of the Tournament Award by FIFA.

A total of 169 goals were scored at the 2018 World Cup; but only 18 from that pool were shortlisted for the top award.

Musa’s second goal against Iceland in the group stage of the Mundial, alongside 17 others, has been selected. The list includes Cristiano Ronaldo’s third goal against Spain and Lionel Messi’s goal against Nigeria.

The voting for the Best Goal in Russia 2018 will be open until July 23 on FIFA’s official website. Bet now

France won the World Cup for the second time in spectacular style on Sunday as a 4-2 victory in one of the most entertaining and action-packed finals for decades ended battling outsiders Croatia’s dreams of a first title.

After an early own goal by Mario Mandzukic France’s big guns delivered on the biggest stage of all as Antoine Griezmann – with a penalty awarded after a VAR review – Paul Pogba and teenage tyro Kylian Mbappe all hit the target.

France goes into Sunday’s final against Croatia in Moscow aiming to make amends for the bitter disappointment of losing the Euro 2016 final on home soil to Portugal.

Just weeks before Manchester United paid a then world-record £89 million to sign Pogba from Juventus, that final largely passed him by. Play Live bet now on NaijaBet

The intervening two years have not always been easy either. Pogba has been criticised in England for failing to dominate big games and was even dropped a number of times last season because his defensive work did not match the standards demanded by Jose Mourinho.

However, it is that aspect of Pogba’s game that has been so impressive in Russia as he and N’Golo Kante have laid the perfect foundation for France’s array of attacking talent headlined by Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

Mario Mandzukic scored the winning goal deep in extra time as Croatia beat England 2-1 in an utterly gripping World Cup semifinal in Moscow on Wednesday to set up a final date with France.

The Juventus forward netted in the 109th minute to complete a remarkable comeback from a shattered Croatian team and take the small nation of little more than four million people into the World Cup final for the first time in their short history.

Kieran Trippier’s magnificent early free-kick had seemingly set England on course to reach their first final since they lifted the trophy on home soil back in 1966. Bet Now

But it wasn’t to be, as Croatia came roaring back in the second half and equalised through Ivan Perisic before somehow finding the energy to win despite being taken to extra time for the third time in 11 days.

France coach Didier Deschamps is confident he has prepared his players for any tactical surprises his opposite number Roberto Martinez might spring when they face Belgium in the World Cup semifinals in St Petersburg on Tuesday.

Belgium are the tournament’s top scorers, and Martinez sprang a surprise by changing his system in the quarterfinal against Brazil, moving target man Romelu Lukaku out wide so Kevin de Bruyne could operate as a “false nine”.

Former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique was appointed Spain’s new coach on Monday after the previous incumbent Julen Lopetegui was sacked on the eve of the World Cup in what turned out to be a disappointing campaign.

The 48-year-old will have the tough task of reviving a national team deflated after three consecutive failures at major tournaments, the latest their World Cup loss to hosts Russia – ranked 70th in the world – on penalties in the last 16. Various betting options are Available on NaijaBet

Before that, Spain were humiliated at the hands of the Netherlands in 2014 and beaten by Italy at Euro 2016 – their 2008-2012 winning streak but a distant memory.

The irony of Thierry Henry, one of France’s all-time soccer greats, plotting his own country’s downfall at the World Cup in Russia has not been lost on his former teammate Didier Deschamps, who calls it a bizarre situation.

When France goes up against Belgium in the World Cup semi-final at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday, the 40-year-old Henry will be on the opposing bench, looking to stop his country from advancing to Sunday’s final.

France coach Didier Deschamps was relieved to come through his side’s 2-0 quarterfinal win over Uruguay without losing any of his players to an unnecessary suspension, he said after Friday’s match in Nizhny Novgorod.

“Regarding Paul, well things got a bit hot, and bearing in mind that he did have a yellow card, I didn’t want him to lose his temper and to get a booking for nothing much,” Deschamps told reporters after the match.

“That’s what I told all the players. If we qualify and they get yellow cards… not even for fouls but because of their gestures, because of their attitude, because of certain words that were said, that’s completely unnecessary.

While some of their biggest rivals have already fallen by the wayside in Russia, Brazil have been making serene progress towards the latter stages of the World Cup.

After watching holders Germany, Spain and Argentina all exit the competition in the last week in various states of disarray, the Selecao eased into the quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory against Mexico on Monday.

England manager Gareth Southgate said he “doesn’t want to go home” as he called on his young side to build on their penalty shootout victory over Colombia in the World Cup last 16 on Tuesday.

After a second-half penalty gave Harry Kane his sixth goal of the tournament, Yerry Mina’s last-gasp header kept Colombia alive, only for England to win on penalties at a World Cup for the first time after defeats in 1990, 1998 and 2006.

Germany coach Joachim Loew will remain in his job despite the World Cup holders’ elimination in the group phase in Russia, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Tuesday.

The DFB said Loew, who has been in the job for 12 years, had told German football chiefs he wanted to carry on and oversee the “reconstruction” of the team. Bet Now

The DFB told Loew, who led Germany to the World Cup title in Brazil in 2014, that he continued to enjoy “the support of the entire leadership” despite the team’s failure to reach the knockout stage for the first time in 80 years.

Akira Nishino’s short time in charge of Japan has been defined by a succession of gambles and so it was perhaps fitting that his side departs the World Cup after risking it all in the last 16 against Belgium.

After choosing to keep faith with many of the veterans who were in danger of losing their place under Halilhodzic, Nishino’s Japan opened their Group H campaign with a win over Colombia and a draw with Senegal. Place bet on today’s game on NaijaBet

Nishino threw the dice in their final group match against already-eliminated Poland, making six changes to the starting 11 and then, when a goal down, opting not to chase an equalizer, instead of holding out for a result that would see them into the last 16 instead of Senegal due to a better disciplinary record.

“The KO in the last 16 is another dark chapter in our history,” said sports daily Marca.

“The match… was a horror. (Spain) played badly, and didn’t think it out… by the time the penalty shootout started this was a broken team lacking the desire to confront a challenge which owes a lot to luck but also to courage,” the paper said. Place bet on today’s tennis games on NaijaBet

“I think this news can be seen for what it is; rewarding a person who performed and contributed greatly for the team and the club last season,” manager Jurgen Klopp told the club’s website. Place bet on today’s games on NaijaBet

“It demonstrates two things very clearly also – his belief in Liverpool and our belief in him.”

Spain goalkeeper David de Gea is “working like a bloody animal” and has the full backing of his teammates in the face of stinging criticism from the national media for his World Cup displays, midfielder Thiago Alcantara said on Friday.

The Manchester United goalkeeper made his first save in the tournament in the 2-2 draw with Morocco in Spain’s final group game and although he has not made any more costly errors since the game with Portugal, criticism has persisted. Place bet world cup event on NaijaBet

“It is the most unfortunate position on the pitch but if you have seen David’s games for Manchester United and his other games for Spain you’ll be able to tell he is an outstanding goalkeeper,” Thiago told a news conference.

But, roared on by a pumped-up Diego Maradona, Messi finally opened his account in this tournament before Marcos Rojo volleyed in a stunning winner against Nigeria as the losing 2014 finalists punched their ticket to the knockout stage.